“The world is quieter now.”
Between the mainstream’s current love affair with all things post-apocalyptic zombie, a brand spanking new AI system, and 25 awards garnered at E3 2012, the folks at Naughty Dog can be pretty certain they’ve got a hit on their hands with upcoming title The Last of Us.
Not that any of these things are enough to let Naughty Dog sit back and rest on their laurels. Nor Sony, for that matter. They’re going to be pulling out all the stops on this one.
The PS3 exclusive, scheduled for worldwide release on June 14, is an action-adventure survival horror game done in the same (open) vein as The Walking Dead game, following the story of two survivors traveling across the post-apocalyptic USA.
Boasting a revolutionary new AI system called the “Balance of Power,” the game features enemies that will respond realistically to any combat situation. If protagonist Joel runs out of pistol rounds and pulls the trigger one more time to give off that telltale empty click, the enemies will advance; if they see the player they will take cover and call for help if they need it.
And now they’re bringing in the music.
Sony brings us an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the mastermind behind the music of The Last of Us. Two-time Academy Award winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla may be best known for his music in Brokeback Mountain, and he’s bringing all that sad melancholy to the smaller screen in a quiet haunting backdrop to the end of the world.
You can listen to a short history of Santaolalla’s lifelong devotion to music in this newly released video from Sony:
It details the sweet story of his first guitar, to Sony’s approach, to the long process of finding the perfect touch of quiet gloomy sound to fit the tone of this newest game.
Video game music; long loved by devoted fans, and largely unknown to the rest of the world… but perhaps with The Last of Us leading the pack, not for long.
